Michigan Football: 5 incoming freshmen who could start in 2018

Michigan football closed its 2018 recruiting class on a high note. Which incoming freshmen could become starters for the Wolverines?

Looking up and down Michigan’s roster, it’s tough to find any weaknesses. Sure, the offensive line has been disappointing over the past couple of years, but the talent and potential is there.

Jim Harbaugh has another solid class coming in, although it’s not his typical top-10 group. In fact, the Wolverines’ 2018 recruiting class is ranked No. 21 in the country and third-best in the Big Ten. That didn’t make many fans happy, but there are still plenty of potential day one contributors coming in.

Which five incoming freshmen could start for the Wolverines in 2018?

It’s no secret that Michigan has had a tough time translating recruiting success to the offensive line’s production over the last couple of years. For the Wolverines, that may all be changing. Tim Drevno, the offensive line coach for the past three seasons, had worn out his welcome in Ann Arbor and took a job as USC’s running backs coach this offseason.

Could that mean the offensive line could finally live up to its potential with a fresh face in charge? It’s possible and truthfully, it’d be difficult not to have success with the amount of talent the Wolverines have coming in to join the group.

Ryan Hayes is one of those talented linemen in the 2018 class. The four-star offensive tackle from Traverse City is athletic and has a slim 6-foot-7, 252-pound frame. He played some tight end at the prep level and that could always be a possibility at Michigan, but he translates to a tackle at the next level.

The nation’s No. 140 overall recruit, per 247Sports, could contend for one of the spots left vacant by Juwann Bushell-Beatty and Mason Cole — right and left tackle, respectively.